Mt. Hood Jazz Festival moving back to community college

The Mt. Hood Jazz Festival is moving back to Mt. Hood Community College this summer, organizers announced Monday.

The festival began at the college, but has been held in downtown Gresham the past four years. Festival directors had planned to hold the event this August at the site of the future Center for the Arts, at Second Street and Hood Avenue in downtown Gresham, but construction will not be finished on the project's plaza by then.

That factor fast-tracked plans already in place to move the event, but moving it back to the college has advantages, said Amy Maxwell, festival vice-president. Organizers plan to offer visual arts and other cultural events. College programs will provide hands-on workshops for festival-goers that could include experiences in everything from pottery sculpting to rock wall climbing.

Maxwell said when the festival left the college because of financial challenges and moved to downtown Gresham, there was a drop attendance, from 10,000 to between 2,000 and 3,000.

The production was different, she said. "It became more of a "community-based event."

When construction on the plaza is complete next year, the festival will host some events there, but the move to the college is not temporary, Maxwell said.

"We really are looking at this as a long-term collaboration," Maxwell said. "We want to grow into the future together. This could bring a lot of new energy and life back to the festival."